


always

by chipsandwaffles



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 02:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12571632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chipsandwaffles/pseuds/chipsandwaffles
Summary: When everything is a mess for Eunwoo, Jinwoo is always there to pick up every little piece of him that needs to be put back into place. Always, always, always.





	always

**Author's Note:**

> i've been feeling really helpless recently and just like. i dont know thought of this? watching the teaser made me think of astro so i thought of astro + woo2 is where it's at so. here you go. i haven't written for astro in forever so i'm sure it's not that great but, even so. i hope ye enjoy ^^

Eunwoo is doing it again. 

Jinjin noticed it last week, when Eunwoo barely stuck around to eat dinner together in favor of turning in early for four days in a _row._ One day wouldn't have been anything, Jinjin would've ignored it, but four days meant something was wrong. 

Not to mention he keeps avoiding Jinwoo, as if he knows that Jinwoo knows. And, of course Jinwoo knows. 

Jinwoo always knows when something is up, whether it be with Eunwoo or Sanha, he just can sense it. It's that parent trait in him. 

It's worse with Eunwoo as well, because he's Eunwoo's boyfriend, and when you're closer than just groupmates – than just friends, that sense is tripled. Jinwoo can tell from a mile away when something is up with Eunwoo. 

He knows by his mannerisms, by how many times he replies with one worded answers, by how he won't ask Jinwoo to come cuddle in his bed or come ask him to help him make dinner. Eunwoo doesn't even realize he's doing it half the time, but Jinwoo notices every single time. 

He's just good at it.

And that's why he's noticed now. Jinwoo isn't stupid and neither is Eunwoo, and clearly both of them know what's up this time around. They both know something is wrong with Eunwoo, and he knows damn well Eunwoo isn't going to go to anyone to get it off his chest. 

Eunwoo hates burdening people with his problems, so going to anyone was off the table.

Which meant Jinwoo just had to go to him. 

-

He asks the other members to leave the dorm for the day, giving them money to go shopping and to eat, leaving him alone until Eunwoo got home from his schedule for the day. It wouldn't take long, only half an hour or so, allowing him time to prep something for Eunwoo. 

He gathers all the pillows and the blankets in their dorm and fashions up a makeshift bed in the middle of the living room, just because it's fun and relaxing and will make Eunwoo laugh. It's the first step to get Eunwoo to open up. 

Jinwoo moves to the kitchen next, immediately grabbing two mugs from the drying rack and placing them on the counter. He wastes time searching for the box of hot chocolate they bought from the store in the U.S., eventually finding it on the top of the fridge in the way back. He's pretty sure Sanha or Moon Bin put it back there, because he and MJ can't reach it unless they ask for help or use a foot stool. 

They could be such punks sometimes. 

Jinwoo gets to actually making the hot chocolate eventually though, letting some milk boil while he searches for other ingredients. He finds marshmallows in the cupboard below the sink (probably put there by MJ), and some whipped cream in the fridge before going back to his milk. He adds in the cocoa powder mixture and stirs it for a few minutes until it's a perfect brown, just the way he and Eunwoo like it. 

He turns off the stove, pours the hot chocolate into the mugs and then adds a ridiculous amount of marshmallows and whipped cream. It's the second step to get Eunwoo to open up.

Jinwoo moves into the living room with the cups of cocoa and sits down on the pillow-blanket bed. He sets Eunwoo's cup down, and then begins to sip at his own, waiting for Eunwoo to get home. 

Eunwoo steps into the room only moments later, slipping his shoes off and shedding his coat before his eyes settle on Jinwoo. 

Immediately, he laughs. 

Jinwoo laughs with him, knowing very well there's whipped cream on his face. If he could see himself he'd laugh even harder, but right now, Eunwoo's laugh is enough. 

"What are you doing?" Eunwoo asks when his laughter calms down a bit. Jinwoo points to himself. 

"A date. Come sit down." Eunwoo's smile drops and his eyes shift away from Jinwoo to his bedroom. Jinwoo's sure he's trying to find some excuse out of this, trying to calculate a way he can get past Jinwoo and to the safety of his bedroom. 

Or the bathroom. 

Jinjin knows Eunwoo too well to know he'd go straight for his bedroom. He sees Eunwoo's eyes shift in the other direction, and he puts down his mug, sighing. 

"Eunwoo, come sit down. Either we talk now, or we talk when everything just... blows up," Jinjin says, reaching a hand out for him. Eunwoo looks at him, letting out his own sigh before stepping towards Jinwoo. He doesn't take his hand, just sits down across from him. He folds his legs crisscross and picks up his mug of hot chocolate, taking a small sip from it.

At least Jinwoo has him _here_ and didn't have to chase after him. He can't run that fast. 

"How was your schedule?" Jinwoo asks. Eunwoo shrugs.

"Fine. We were just going over lines," he replies. Jinwoo nods in understanding, picking up his hot chocolate once more and taking a sip. They sit in silence for a bit, sipping at their hot chocolate, leaving each other to their own thoughts.

Jinwoo wants to wait for Eunwoo to start talking to him himself, but he knows it's not going to happen. He always has to initiate it, to make Eunwoo talk, to make him open up to Jinwoo. Sometimes it bothers him, because they're boyfriends and they should communicate when one is feeling like absolute crap, but most of the time he just deals with it. 

They are boyfriends after all, and sometimes you just have to make sacrifices for the other. 

"Is it stress?" Jinwoo asks. Eunwoo looks up at him, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you stressed out? Too many schedules again? Something happen with your family?"

Eunwoo shakes his head. "No- I'm- I'm fine, Jinjin. There's nothing-

"'-wrong Jinjin,'" Jinwoo echoes, having heard the same excuse plenty of times before. "'If there was I'd tell you, Jinwoo. I'm fine.'"

Eunwoo shuts his mouth then, looking to the ground. Jinwoo isn't trying to make him upset, but he doesn't want to start with this. He knows Eunwoo has been avoiding and shoving problems into a bottle for weeks, just as he always does. He didn't need to keep avoiding it, he just needed to let them out. 

"I don't want to talk about it JInwoo," Eunwoo mumbles. Jinwoo can hear the crack in his voice. It breaks his heart hearing it. 

"Eunwoo-

"I'm just going to end up crying Jinwoo and I- I don't want to put that all on your shoulders-

"But you don't have to deal with it alone! You really don't," Jinwoo tries. Eunwoo sets his cup down and stands up, shaking his head. 

"You already have so much to deal with Jinwoo I- I don't want to burden you with my own problems when it's always the same thing." 

Jinwoo moves to stand up, but Eunwoo is half way across the room already before Jinwoo can even grab him and stop him from going. Jinwoo hears the bedroom door open and he quickly calls out Eunwoo's name, hoping to stop him. 

"Jinwoo just- I'm fine-

“Eunwoo- _Dongmin_. I just want you to talk to me," Jinwoo says. It stops Eunwoo from going into his room, making Jinwoo continue. "Please just talk to me. Not as your boyfriend, not at your groupmate, not as your leader, but as your _friend_. I’m your friend before I’m anything else and you know I’m _always_ here for you. All your problems- they aren't burdens- _you_ aren't a burden.” 

Eunwoo blinks back some tears, tipping his head back to further keep them where they belong and not out in the open. He hated letting Jinwoo see him cry, they both knew that. 

But when he looks back at Jinwoo once more, eyes soft and smile just as equally soft, offering friendship and love and comfort, he can’t stop the tears. He walks back over to Jinwoo and lets him envelop him into a tight hug. 

He has the worst habit of bottling things up in a nice, tight glass bottle, until they explode, too many feelings and glass shards scattered everywhere, and yet, every time, every single time, Jinwoo is there to pick up every shard of glass and glue it back together for Eunwoo. He sweeps up all his messed up feelings back into the bottle, packing them all back up so they’re neat and they fit and they’re _okay._  

They seem like such basic, simple problems that he shouldn't tell anyone, and he never goes to Jinwoo for them, making Jinwoo come to him. Sometimes they both get upset, sometimes Eunwoo won't even talk, and yet, Jinwoo never leaves. He never says they're stupid problems like Eunwoo thinks they are. He just holds his hand and kisses him when he needs it and holds him close and _listens._

He gives Eunwoo everything he needs and even when Eunwoo does this all the time, even though he bottles everything up and never talks until Jinwoo gets him to, Jinwoo sticks around. 

Jinwoo is always there for Eunwoo. Always, always, _always._

**Author's Note:**

> find me @chipsandwaffles on tumblr if you feel so inclined and have a good day <3


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